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PBA 037
PM Canto: When last we left, you guys had just killed a zombie in a cartoony horse costume. PM Wynn: Wynn is stalking back towards the museum to look around upstairs now that someone picked up the wardstone. PM Nilani: Nilani follows along. PM Canto: The small figure that you chased all the way to Andarville disappeared. So you're walking all the way back to the Museum? PM Wynn: ((Unless someone stops me! That was the goal before we chased the little one. If the goal has changed, someone should probably tell Wynn that.)) PM Valerian: Valerian sticks with Wynn! PM Wynn: ((We don't care about the rest of the park! Back to the museum! lol)) PM Canto: Okay, so you guys head back. PM Canto: It is much as you left it. PM Valerian: Valerian cares about the rest of the park, but wandering away from the group in a situation like this is a bad idea! PM Wynn: Wynn takes the wardstone from zombie!Aziz and heads up to the ropes. PM Canto: Andar's image does not appear this time. PM Wynn: Wynn takes the rope down and heads towards the room where the little guy seemed to be rooting around. PM Canto: You find it! It's the room with the broken window. It seems like it was once a bedroom, converted into some kind of employee break area. PM Wynn: Wynn looks for anything that looks like it has been disturbed, drawers, missing items indicated by dust, etc. PM Valerian: Valerian helps. PM Valerian: ((29 search.)) PM Canto: There's a box against one of the walls, looks like a cabinet, but its full of food. Seems like it was recently rummaged through. PM Wynn: ....food? That's what he was stealing? That's what he ran from us for? PM Wynn: ....you don't think the entry closed with people still in the park, do you? Like they're just... waiting? PM Wynn: Wynn looks at the food- is it non-perishable or bad or is there a way to tell how long it's been since it was restocked at all? PM Valerian: ... I doubt it. PM Canto: Not all of it is preserved. It's half empty, but most of the food seems very fresh. PM | Edited 5:13:03 PM Valerian: Valerian checks a box of notecards on the wall. PM Canto: It's locked. PM Valerian: ... Hey, Nilani, can you open this? PM Nilani: I'll see. PM Nilani: Nilani pulls out her picks and gets to work. PM Canto: It's a very simple lock. PM | Edited 5:20:03 PM Wynn: Wynn lifts her visor back up. She still has a bit of a frown, but most of the anger seems to have dissipated on the walk over here. PM Canto: The food cabinet is likely enchanted to preserve food, like the food storage on Nation. PM Canto: The lock comes open, and a small flood of notecards spill out over Nilani! PM Wynn: Wynn will pick one up. PM Valerian: Valerian does too. PM Nilani: Nilani has at least one stuck somewhere. She brushes most of them off and looks at that one. PM Wynn: Looks like a suggestion box. PM Valerian: Heh. The employees thought the Andars were too much too. PM Wynn: Wynn sets her card back down on a table. PM Wynn: Shall we go look at the other rooms? PM Valerian: Yes. PM Wynn: Wynn walks out and looks up and down the hall to see how many other doors there are and where. PM Kalor: Kalor knocks on the fridge and then walks after Wynn since she's got the wardstone PM Canto: Quite a few rooms -- it's a big mansion. PM Valerian: Valerian sticks with them too. PM Valerian: We should start making a map. PM Wynn: Perhaps. PM Wynn: Wynn opens the next door to the right. PM Canto: Storage, it looks like. Lots of stacked up crates and boxes. PM Wynn: There should just be rooms off the main hall, though, right? I don't have much experience in hugely large buildings, but it seems that would make the most sense. PM Wynn: Wynn checks the next room. She's probably looking for either Andar's office or anything that looks ransacked. PM Canto: Most of the rooms on this floor seem to be bedrooms. The next room is storage as well. PM Valerian: This must be where the employees live. PM Wynn: Wynn will continue glancing into rooms in order until we find something interesting, Andar's office, or ransacked stuff. PM Wynn: I hope nobody forgot to put their wardstones on before leaving their rooms. PM Valerian: Something went wrong here. PM Wynn: More than just closing the gates? PM Kalor: I would have put up posters PM Kalor: "Wear your wardstone, it could save your life!" PM Canto: You find more storage! This one looks fairly ransacked, but not recently. Lots of broken-open half-rotted, large wooden crates. PM Wynn: Wynn pokes at one of the crates to see what's inside. PM Valerian: I think he probably would have done it with an illusory image of himself. PM Canto: Nothing anymore. Just hay. PM Wynn: Wynn continues on! PM Canto: Next room is a room with a few beds in it, but no personal belongings or touches. PM Valerian: Valerian keeps looking too! PM Canto: Next room is in pretty bad shape. looks like a bunch of bodies were burnt in here. PM Wynn: Wynn will step in, carefully. PM Valerian: ... what happened here? PM Canto: Roll search. PM Valerian: ((23.)) PM Kalor: Who would do such a thing? Necromantically animated is one thing but why burn bodies inside an amusement park? These people should have a decent burial... PM | Edited 5:44:27 PM Wynn: ((17 search, 10 heal to see if it's more than just straightforward burning.)) PM Wynn: Burning is usually for a purpose. Either a message or because of disease or something similar. PM Canto: There's not a lot left of the bodies, just a bunch of old, charred bones and ash. But it looksl ike they were piled up in the middle of the room, then burned. PM Canto: And the fire was contained in this room. PM Wynn: If it was disease, I'd think they'd do it outside and take care of the bodies after. PM Kalor: A message? Would it not have been easier to write one down? With or without explosive runes included... PM Kalor: Magical fire. PM Kalor: It was contained to this room, the likely cause would have to be a spell which only focused on the bodies. PM Valerian: It's odd. PM Wynn: Wynn looks around the outside of the pile. Did the flames go all the way to the wall or just the center of the room? PM Canto: Looks like they licked teh walls a bit, but didn't go any further. PM Kalor: The building may also be magically warded against flame. PM Wynn: Wynn bends down and murmurs some words, followed by a prayer for the people. PM Kalor: It seems pretty likely, actually. PM Kalor: Kalor cups his hands and whispers a short prayer for the dead. PM Wynn: Wynn then lowers her visor and stands quietly near the door, waiting for the others. PM Kalor: Aventernus guide you and deliver you to whatever place your soul may now call home. PM Valerian: Valerian stays respectful while they do that. PM Kalor: I should really start to carry holy water with me for this. But I imagine finding a cleric of Aventernus out here is too much to hope for... PM Wynn: Before we leave this place, I'll put them to rest. PM Kalor: Kalor lowers his hands as if pouring something onto the pile and sighs before exiting the room. PM Wynn: Wynn is uncharacteristically quiet when she says that. PM Valerian: We all will. PM Wynn: Wynn turns and heads to the next room. PM Canto: The next room is more storage. Looks like a bunch of those action figures you saw in the shop, all packed up. PM Kalor: This place would be worth a fortune for a collector PM Kalor: Hopefully there are no more of those undead things around... PM Wynn: Indeed. PM Canto: Everyone roll notice. PM Valerian: I think it *was* worth a fortune to a collector. PM Valerian: ((12.)) PM Wynn: ((9.)) PM Canto: ((Kalor, Nilani? Notice Checks?)) PM Nilani: ((21)) PM Kalor: ((Boom, natural 20!)) PM Nilani: Nilani turns towards a noise somewhere. PM Kalor: Someone else just entered, I heard the illusionary greeter trigger. PM Valerian: ... we should go and see. PM Wynn: Wynn turns back down the hall, pulling her shield down to her arm. PM Valerian: Valerian follows. PM Nilani: Nilani goes off in that direction. PM Kalor: Kalor follows a bit behind, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. PM Canto: You go back to the entryway/foyer, where you find the little guy from earlier crouched there. You get a better look at him now, definitely a kobold of some kind. He has a bunch of Wardstones around his neck and is wearing some kind of leather armor. He has a sack over his shoulder and watches you warily. PM Valerian: Dr: Hello? PM Kalor: Kalor speaks in draconic: "You really didn't have to lead us on such a merry chase. Thank you for showing us where the wardstone was though." PM Wynn: Wynn stays silent for now. PM Nilani: Nilani watches the chap warily. PM Canto: He eyes you with a narrowed amber gaze, and speaks in pretty decent common. "Wasn't sure who you were. Caught me off guard. But, saw you fight the Argent. So, you're not with the Crow." PM Kalor: The argent? PM Wynn: Andar's horse. PM Valerian: We are definitely not with the Crow. PM Kalor: Didn't you say someone stole the clothes of someone called the Crow before Wynn? PM Wynn: The Crow being the person who stole the garments or is it actually him? PM Canto: "So, if you found a way here. You have a way back, probably." He tosses the sack down in front of him, toward the base of the stairs. "Can pay for my passage." PM Kalor: That's all well and good, but our resident smiter of darkness, evil and undead things here wants to go find the evil artifacts that this Crow person has stolen and destroy them. PM Wynn: Wynn holsters her shield and lifts her visor. PM Kalor: I don't have anything against you travelling with us to the next plane we end up on though. We have plenty of room. PM Wynn: Not *just* those ones, but if they are still here, then yes, they would be included. PM Kalor: Um, I do not exactly have all that much in the way of offensive magic though. PM Kalor: Or defensive, come to think of it PM Wynn: What's happened here? PM Wynn: Why is the park abandoned, who are you, and who is this Crow? PM Valerian: Exactly what I was hoping to find out. PM Canto: "Thieves, thief, and another thief." PM Wynn: Not the actual owner of the garments, then. PM Kalor: Good answers. I guess that explains it. PM Valerian: I think it's more treasure-hunter or salvager when things are abandoned. PM Kalor: Prospector. PM Wynn: Do you know what's happened to Andar? Or whoever would be in charge of the park in his absence? PM Kalor: And I guess this thief found some artifact which animates dead things with negative energy. Which would explain the argent. PM Valerian: You've been here a pretty long time, haven't you? It's okay, we'll get you out. PM Kalor: And then set himself up as lord of the undead. How petty... PM Canto: "Don't know what happened, really. Wizard and his chin built this place. Was successful. Made money for charity. People were entertained. Then stuff started going wrong. So Wizard Chin closed it down. Chin's employees, some of them thought to loot the place using their access to it." PM Canto: "Something happened." PM Wynn: Were you an employee? PM Canto: "Nope. Thief. Well after all this had happened. Me and my band came here, to see what we could find. Got stuck here." PM Wynn: Is anyone else alive? Besides the Crow? PM Canto: "Nope. I'm the only one left. Crow is one of the original employees, I'd guess. Knew how to get through wards to the really good stuff." PM Wynn: Do you know where he is? PM Canto: "Where else?" PM Wynn: I don't understand. PM Canto: He snorts. "Haunted House. Silly." PM Canto: "Real now, though." PM Kalor: So he's *that* tacky? PM Kalor: Wonderful... PM Canto: "Too many wards and defenses in here for Necromancy. Chin hated Necromancy." PM Wynn: We'll have to go by the ship to get there. You're welcome to join us, assuming you're willing to follow our rules. PM Wynn: No stealing, no harming another. PM Valerian: Right. PM Valerian: It's not too bad, really. PM Wynn: We can drop you off at the first inhabited plane we come to, if you like. PM Canto: "... you're going to fight him?" PM Wynn: Only if he makes me. PM Wynn: I'm not going to leave anyone here to waste away. He can have his choice to come with us under the same conditions as you. Or he can choose to relinquish the evil items and stay behind. PM Kalor: From your expression I'm guessing you've seen what he does to people. So what is his gig anyway? Does he let his minions do the fighting? Withers people to dessicated husks? Throws fireballs all over the place? PM Canto: "Don't know. Only saw him once or twice. Makes things of people, though." PM Valerian: How... powerful is he? PM Wynn: I assume you aren't going to follow me to the Crow. Are any of the rest of you going to go back to the ship instead of finding him? PM Canto: The kobold shrugs at Val's question. PM Kalor: Are you kidding me? I am not going to leave my friends to the mercy of some stupid wannabe necromancer. I'm going with you. PM Wynn: If not, Nilani, can you contact Nation and have someone meet us at the portal to take charge of our new friend here? Get him situated? PM Wynn: What's your name? PM Nilani: Nilani does so! "Hello Nation. We have picked someone up. Would you mind opening a portal nearby and sending someone through to retrieve them?" PM Canto: No response! PM Canto: Kobold: Beek. PM Valerian: ... I think we'd better all go, except our new friend here, who can barricade himself in here. PM Wynn: My name is Wynn. The ship is Nation. As long as you follow the rules, and choose to be, you are part of our crew now. We won't leave you behind. PM Wynn: That may be for the best, Valerian. Beek, you can stay in the room you fled from earlier. We'll come back for you and you should be safe there. PM Kalor: I am Kalor, pleased to meet you. PM Canto: Beek: Much safer than you. PM Wynn: ...do you know what happened with the bodies upstairs? PM Valerian: Probably safer, yes. PM Canto: Beek: Was that way when I got here. PM Wynn: Wynn nods sadly. "All right." PM Valerian: Valerian nods. PM Valerian: Well, into the jaws of death, right? PM Kalor: Kalor nods PM Kalor: Unless I can fool this lord of undeath with my magic, probably PM Wynn: Let's hope there doesn't need to be any death. PM Canto: Beek: If you die I'm keeping the payment. PM Wynn: You don't need to pay us. PM Kalor: If we die you're probably not getting out of here, so by all means... No skin off my back. PM | Edited 7:23:14 PM Wynn: If we don't return, someone else from our ship likely will come look for us. Tell them I offered you passage. PM Kalor: Or that. PM Wynn: Wynn pulls her shield down and heads towards the door. PM Canto: Beek: Hmph. PM Kalor: Oh well, I can always hope this Crow is more magpie than his namesake. Spells are not cheap you know... PM Kalor: Kalor follows Wynn PM Valerian: Lives are even more so. PM Canto: Beek: Well. Here. PM Canto: He pulls off a few of his wardstones, one for each of you. PM Kalor: Thank you PM Kalor: Kalor bows PM Wynn: Yes, thank you. Be safe. PM Canto: Beek: I'll be plenty safe. You, not so much. PM Wynn: We'll be fine. PM Valerian: ... I hope. PM Valerian: As long as he's not an all-powerful lich or something. PM Wynn: Wynn walks out towards Andarville. PM Canto: Beek: Just remember it's not the fake ghosts that will kill you. PM Kalor: No it's the animated remains and tortured spirits of the people that this guy has stitched together. PM Kalor: Kalor follows Wynn PM Canto: You head down the path away from the Museum! PM Canto: Roll notice. PM Wynn: ((16.)) PM Kalor: ((10)) PM Valerian: ((3)) PM Canto: Okay! You get back to the center court, with it's big ol statue of Andar. PM Canto: You can't help but notice that the Portal you came through is missing. PM Kalor: Well on the plus side, either we'll be un-cursed by being here, or we have a way out of here anyway. It's a win/win situation. PM Wynn: Well, we'd be brought back to the pods, but Beek would still be stuck here. Nation should be able to get another portal set up in time, though. PM Wynn: Right now we have other matters to attend to. PM Wynn: Wynn continues down the path. PM Kalor: Also note how vague Beek was about the haunted house actually being haunted. PM Kalor: I have no idea what's lurking in there now. PM Valerian: Valerian follows. PM Wynn: Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. PM Valerian: Dead things, presumably. PM Canto: You find yourself back at the entrance of Andarville. PM Wynn: Give me just a minute and we'll see what's inside. PM Wynn: Wynn steps off to the side of the path and kneels, facing away from the others. PM Wynn: Wynn stands and returns to the group after a short minute. "Ready?" PM Canto: Andarville is pretty large, like a small town. PM Kalor: Or a big hamlet. PM Valerian: Ready. PM Kalor: Ready PM Kalor: Although I would feel much safer with some fireballs prepared and ready to go... PM Wynn: Wynn starts walking into the town, looking for the haunted house. PM Valerian: I'm... not sure I would. PM Canto: As you enter Andarville proper, the lights come on, and Andar's image appears to greet you. "Welcome to Andarvill! This small town is recreation of the very town yours truly was born in! Just with more souvenier shops. Ha ha!" PM Wynn: Yes, yes, Andar. Are you here to point us towards the house? PM Valerian: Where's the haunted house? PM Canto: "Ah, you must mean the recreation of the of Duke of the Dead's estate! I'll be happy to direct you! But only if you promise to do something for me!" The image gives a cheerful, pre-programmed style. PM Wynn: Wynn stops short. "...did he just respond to a question?" PM Kalor: Either that or he just responded to a pre programmed keyword. PM Wynn: What do you need, Andar? PM Canto: "You must promise to face the horrors in the there with a brave heart and a mind filled with light! You should also brush your teeth and mind your parents!" PM Valerian: I am *not* minding my parents. PM Wynn: ....right. For some reason I thought he might *actually* have something to say besides theme park drivel. PM Wynn: Wynn continues on. PM Kalor: Thank you Andar. PM Kalor: Kalor hurries after Wynn PM Canto: The image stands tehre and smiles and fades away! PM Wynn: Wynn stops again and turns around to where Andar's image was before. PM Wynn: ....did any of you hear what he just said? PM Kalor: No PM Valerian: No? PM Kalor: But I assumed someone was directly controlling this image PM Wynn: Wynn frowns, turns back around, and continues toward the haunted house, angry. PM Kalor: That is why I thanked him. PM Wynn: You shouldn't have. PM Canto: A series of motes of light appear, creating a trail leading down the path! PM Kalor: Well the options are a wizard that seems to be a really nice guy, and a murderous psychopath who found a new toy and thinks he's a necromancer. PM Kalor: I figured a one in two chance was good enough. And I really don't want to make either angry at me. PM Wynn: Whoever it is, they are *attempting* to play mind games. Be aware of it. PM Kalor: Murderous psychopath it is then. Bummer. PM Valerian: A lot of people do that. PM Valerian: What did you hear him say? PM Wynn: He called me by name and said I should kill you all before you betray me. PM Kalor: Pretty standard then. PM Valerian: Yeah. PM Valerian: For what it's worth I am *not* planning to betray you. Or anyone. PM Wynn: Though how he knows my full name is a question I'd like answered. PM Wynn: I don't plan to kill anyone for things they haven't done. PM Kalor: And I haven't heard anyone say anything I did not already know. PM Valerian: I never thought you would. PM Wynn: I'm fairly certain only a handful of people on *Nation* know my first name. Yet he does. I assume this is some form of divination. PM Valerian: It's probably meant to be a more personalized guide that way.